


Paradigm

by Kiramochis



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Ryu has an illness called Loving His Friends Too Much, Spoilers for the second season, Written for the ANiNANA ARiGATOU Zine, unnecessary drama, with the known side effect of Being Slightly Dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:53:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiramochis/pseuds/Kiramochis
Summary: Ryu's having a hard time coming to grips with his character for the Last Dimension stage play. Taking an awful bit of advice he found online, Ryu decides to try to act like Ten for a day, which includes trying to be mean to the people closest to him. It doesn't end well...
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Paradigm

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the ANiNANA ARiGATOU Zine! The link to the Zine will be in the End Notes since HTML hyperlinks don't seem to like my Beginning Notes

Ryunosuke stared out the window of the moving car. TRIGGER had just left a meeting with Zero Arena's manager to discuss their performance for it’s reopening. It had already been decided when the offer was given to them that they would be doing a stage play, which would also help promote their new single that was being released around the same time. It wasn't that Ryunosuke hated the idea of doing a stage play (he loved performing on stage regardless of the medium), it was that he was having a hard time trying to get a grip on his character.

Ten (his character, not their centre) is a prideful demon with a fowl and dirty mouth. He tries using Nine (Tenn's character) for his own personal gain by trying to stray him down the path of evil during the boy's attempt at trying to rise to the top of _Zero_ , a once glorious metropolis that has fallen down the ranks due to a recent spike in high criminal activity. He constantly fights with Eight (Gaku's character), an angel who is trying to keep Nine on the path of good. Because of their opposing views and goals, the two fight all the time with Nine mostly acting as the middleman during the early parts of the play. In a way, it sort of reminds Ryunosuke of them, with Tenn and Gaku always fighting and Ryunosuke having to act as the peacemaker.

Except, this time it wasn't Tenn and Gaku fighting, it was him and Gaku. Unlike his groupmates, Ryunosuke isn't very good at separating himself from his roles. The idea of fighting with his (dare he say it) best friend hurt. Ryunosuke cherished all the relationships in his life, he doesn't like fighting with the people closest to him.

“You okay, Ryu?” Gaku asked, leaning forward to get a better look at his friend. “Tenn and I have been arguing for the past five minutes and you’ve said nothing.”

“It’s not like you to space out like that Ryu.” Tenn piped, dropping any hint of the malicious in his voice that had been sent Gaku’s way. “Is there something on your mind?” 

“No, no I’m fine, really.” Ryunosuke shot down Gaku and Tenn’s worry with his usual gentle smile and a well practiced wave of the hand. They didn’t entirely seem to believe him, but they let the topic go anyway.

Sometimes, Ryunosuke wished they would be a bit more pushy with him.

Later that evening, once Ryunosuke had safely been dropped off at home with a well cooked meal in his belly, the brunet wondered if there were any better ways to get into character. His usual types of roles were somewhere between the Big Brother Type and the Sexy Playboy Type. It was easy to get into those roles, one was basically an extension of himself and the other was a well practiced circus act created for him. It was far too late to call Yuki-san or Yamato-kun, so he did what anyone else would do. Turn to an internet forum. 

A lot of it was advice for students acting in a school play, so nothing of major use to him as they were all tricks he already knew. However, one thing did catch his attention. A user with a rather, saucy, username suggested that they try to act like their character. Take your everyday situations and respond how you think would react. Really get into their head, you know?

For Ryunosuke that was a horrible idea. He was an Idol with a backstage reputation of being a kind hearted older brother. Acting like Ten could also ruin his (and more importantly TRIGGER’s) reputation with the staff they were going to work with tomorrow who already had a positive image of them. Not to mention Tenn would put him through the wringer if he acted up even slightly. Yet despite all the warning signs the butterflies in his stomach were giving him, he decided to set himself some ground rules for his big act tomorrow while brushing his teeth.

*-*-*

The next morning Ryunosuke took a deep breath as he waited for Anesagi to come and pick him up. He watched as her sleek black car pulled up in front of his apartment building and came to a gentle stop. Ryunosuke climbed into his usual seat behind the driver and didn’t utter a word. It would be easier for him to get into character if someone else spoke first.

“‘Morning Ryu!” Gaku chirped from his place in the back. He seemed more happy than usual this morning. Normally he was dead to the world unless Tenn poked him with a stick. When Ryunosuke didn’t respond, Gaku leaned forward and looked at his friend. “What, no response? You need coffee or something? We can pick some up at a convenience store for you on the way to get Tenn.”

“If I wanted your help, I would have asked.” Gaku seemed taken back by the sharpness and bite in Ryunosuke’s response. 

“Okay, geez.” Gaku leaned back into his seat and Ryunosuke felt his soul leave his body. He can’t believe he did that! And good golly did that hurt! It felt like a punch to the stomach. Neither of them said a word as they rode to Tenn’s house, both out of fear for the next words that would come out of Ryunosuke’s mouth.

Somehow they made it to the TV station without much trouble. Tenn seemed to notice that something was up with his unitmates and didn’t try to tread on any landmines in the car. He was probably using the time that Ryunosuke was out getting himself a bottle of water at a vending machine to try to get and brainstorm answers out of Gaku.

. He sighed as he unscrewed the cap of his water bottle. This was so tiring. Ryunosuke didn’t want to do this anymore. He was made to be nice and kind. His ears perked up when the sound of heels grew closer and closer. He looked in their direction and saw Tsumugi walking down the hallway, a clipboard in one hand and a travel mug in the other. She looked up from her clipboard and smiled when she saw Ryunosuke.

Gaku was never going to forgive him for what he was about to do.

“Tsunashi-san good morning!” Tsumugi smiled. Those words felt like a punch to the gut, especially when all he did was glare at the cute bunny blonde before him. She looked so frightened, like a rabbit under the hungry gaze of a wolf.

“I wanted to thank you for the banana bread recipe you recommended to me the other day.” Tsumugi’s voice grew more meek the longer she went on. He couldn’t even make out the final string of words at the end of her sentence. Something about her dad really liking it.

“Whatever, just don’t expect anything else out of me.” Ryunosuke walked away from the confused and frightened Tsumugi. Somehow that hurt even more than his quip to Gaku in the car. Maybe it was because the stage play was still underwraps from anyone outside of TRIGGER’s team, so she wouldn’t know a thing about it; or maybe it was her status as his honorary younger sister that made the poison filled words feel lethal.

Ryunosuke stopped in his tracks and looked back in the direction he just came from. Without so much as even a second thought, Ryunosuke raced back over to Tsumugi. He owed her an apology.

“I’m sorry Tsumugi-chan!” The blonde jumped at Ryunosuke’s sudden outburst, almost dropping her mug in the process. He hastily went over his “grand scheme” without going into detail about the stage play, only explaining about how much trouble a character was giving him. He stopped short of his explanation when Tsumugi began to laugh.

“So that’s what that was all about!” Ryunosuke blinked a few times in confusion before Tsumugi explained that she had talked to Gaku over Rabbitchat earlier that morning about his strange behavior in the car.

“I’m relieved that this wasn’t something serious.” Tsumugi sent him her usual, kind smile that could melt away any troubled thoughts. “But you probably owe Gaku-san and Kujo-san an explanation as well.”

“You’re right. Thank’s Tsumugi-chan!” With a wide smile, Ryunosuke dashed back to TRIGGER’s greenroom, all sorts of reasonings and explanations running around inside his head. Knowing Tenn and Gaku, they’d laugh off his weird behavior and even weirder explanation with a smile, a few jabs and a couple of laughs.

How lucky was Ryunosuke to have friends who made even being mean for a moment such a difficult thing to do.

**Author's Note:**

> It was so much fun being a part of this Zine! Everyone's works are absolutely fantastic and I couldn't have asked to be apart of a more wonderful project. The Zine is free, and if you want to read all the other wonderful fanfiction and artwork that was also featured, you can download the Zine [here](https://twitter.com/ani7arigatou/status/1280700444013146112). There's still lots more to discover beyond that rainbow, let's see it all together!
> 
> You have no idea how many times I reread the Last Dimension RabbitChat's for this and I am still confused about the plot. Why is the city called Zero Arena? Why are an angel and demon trying to swindle a teenager to their side?? Why is a teenager trying to take over a metropolis???? Banri I need answers!!!
> 
> I would have liked to have gone more in depth with Ryu's dilemma, show a few more examples of Ryu being Mean and feeling really bad about it until he progressively just gets worse and worse as he keeps up the act but I have this disease called "I Can Not Simplify Anything" and a 1.5k max word limit doesn't mix well with that. Out of respect for the project I won't be rewriting this fic or adding anything to it to scratch that itch
> 
> Scream with me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/kiramochis/) about flowers OR follow my [writing Twitter](https://twitter.com/kirapenn/) to gain access to WIPS and other cool stuff! Hooray!!


End file.
